Istanbul ranked first with the highest exports in the first half of 2013, although eastern Anatolia became the region that most increased its exports.

Exports from Istanbul increased by 3.1 percent by the first half of 2013 compared to the first half of 2012, and accounted for $31.2 billion of Turkey’s total exports of $71.4 billion, according to the data from the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TİM).

Meanwhile, Turkey’s eastern Muş province had the highest increase in exports with $28.2 million in the first half of 2013, from $900.000 of the same period of last year, with almost a 30-fold increase.

Although Turkey’s eastern cities accounted for the lowest exports of the country, they had succeeded in increasing their exports by 37.9 percent in the first half of 2013, the highest among regions.

Steel became the most exported good among 20 different industrial goods across Turkey. It was followed by metals and clothing.

Germany ranked first among the countries to which Turkey exported, followed by Iraq.